would you prefer God to exist?

I have been reading about Christopher Hitchens' view of God recently. The Wikipedia article about him says:

"You could be an atheist and wish that the belief was true," he told CBC. "An antitheist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation, is someone who’s very relieved that there’s no evidence for this proposition. He argues that the concept of God or a supreme being is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom."

While reading this, it occurred to me that I am exactly the kind of atheist that Christopher Hitchens is not. I would very much like there to be a benevolent powerful God to look after me and guide my life. I only reluctantly yield to the evidence that there isn't such a being.

I would like to meet some scientists from another planet that are millions of years more advanced than us, and learn from them.

They would appear to be Gods to a lot of people, but not I. Their control of the universe would be incredibly amazing to me, and even scary at first, but not miraculous. They would not be supernatural, therefore not Gods.

I've noticed some people do not want to live forever. I'm the opposite. If those scientists offered me eternal life, I would jump at the chance. I don't think I would ever get bored.

There would be quintillions of solar systems with lots of interesting life to explore, and when they were all explored, I could start the exploration all over again. By the time I came back to this part of space, everything would be completely different.

There would also be an unlimited supply of sentient beings to talk to and enjoy the company of. I’m sure there would be many like-minded beings that would love to go exploring with me.

Another thing to do to keep from being bored would be creating new life-forms. There should be an infinite number of different kinds to create.

Does that mean I would be a God? No, I would not be supernatural (I also doubt I would ever become as egotistical as most man-made Gods are).

I would be enthused by the idea of a universal justice that rights all wrongs “eventually”, that does not intrude upon the life that’s ours to live, but eventually in some ineffable manner rectifies all of the evils and inequities that befall us. I would love it if somehow the fundamental unfairness of life could be magically set aright in a final reckoning, so that whatever we may happen to suffer from our own stupidity, the malice of others, the caprice of nature or just ill luck, would be a merely minor and transitory matter. I would love to have a ticket allowing me to disregard whatever suffering befalls me “in the here and now”, and to die with a comforting feeling that none of my temporal burdens are significant, that there will be built a great equation from the present inequality of life.

It’s a beautiful concept – if only it were possible!

But I would not wish for there to be a god or gods, no matter how wise or benevolent, to be running our lives and bestowing commands upon us. The gods that we know are all monsters, because the humans who invented them are monsters. God is created in Man’s image – not vice versa.

Neither do I crave eternal life. Our physical lives are already too long, too fraught with violent pangs of horror interspersed with languidly long intervals of boredom. I lack the creativity to fill an infinite life (or afterlife), and if I were to become transformed to suddenly be imbued with such creativity, then I would no longer be me – and am not qualified to speak on behalf of such a transformed being.

There is no vacancy for a creator god. That post has been abandoned. If at all there could be a personal god, he will have to be guided by so many human expectations that would want to regulate his conduct that he could hardly be better than the U.S. president!

In times of lonely atheist frustration I have often thought how easy it would be to just believe in god. Religious folks never have to worry about others knowing their religion (in most places). Their arguments never make any reasonable sense but they seem content with their ignorance. In a way I envy their ignorance. I know that sounds silly but I had a Darwin fish on my car and it was vandalized. If it had been a jesus fish i'm sure it would still be there.

Now that I have Atheist Nexus and other atheist outlets I no longer feel this frustration. I have pride in my atheism and no longer feel the need for ignorance. However, in this bible thumpin area I still keep it mostly to myself.

I've seen the word, "benevolent" thrown around here a bit, and I suspect said word is going to be problematic the second anyone starts talking about a being with supernatural powers. I mean, don't we all know the old phrase?

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Judging from the bible, that particular deity had no problem not only throwing his weight around but acting very much as Robert Heinlein described him, having "the manners and morals of a spoiled child." I don't care how "benevolent" whatever god we propose starts out. I care what happens downstream, and I remain dubious of any being with extraordinary powers ... PERIOD.